Lu Gu had no choice, since Guaizi wanted to play, Lu Gu simply put the embroidery hoop from his lap into the bamboo basket on the ground. He pinched Guaizi’s ears and rubbed his head, and as he did so, he grew happier. Guaizi also felt extremely comfortable, so much so that he tried to jump onto Lu Gu’s lap, attempting to curl up in his arms like he did when he was little.
"Ah, you’re too heavy now, no, no." Lu Gu pushed away the half of Guaizi’s body that had already climbed up, feeling both amused and exasperated. He had grown so big, how could he compare to when he was small?
Guaizi seemed to realize he couldn’t climb up, but he didn’t want to be pushed away either. He grabbed Lu Gu’s sleeve with his mouth and started playing.
After a bit of back-and-forth, Lu Gu’s heart softened when he heard Guaizi’s pitiful whimpers. He hugged Guaizi’s upper body and rubbed his head for a while, chuckling softly, "Why are you like a baby, crying like this?"
Guaizi didn’t understand the words, but he knew how to get close to people.
Lu Gu’s cheek was licked twice and became wet. He quickly turned his head to avoid it, and after some more playful tussling, he finally managed to get Guaizi to let go.
——
Lu Gu grabbed a handful of chives and chopped them on the cutting board. The sound of the knife cutting through the chives was more satisfying than cutting other vegetables. Busy in the kitchen alone, Lu Gu chopped vegetables, scrambled eggs, and mixed the filling. Once the filling was ready, he went to knead and roll out the dough.
In their region, dumpling wrappers were square. Instead of rolling out each wrapper individually, they rolled out one large sheet of dough and cut it into squares with a knife.
Not long after wrapping the dumplings, Shen Xuanqing returned. He immediately boiled water and cooked the dumplings, just in time to eat before dark.
"I was lucky today. I I came across a beehive on the way and got two combs of honey. I also caught a colorful pheasant with a long tail and a gray hen alive. These creatures live in flocks. When I chased them, Dahei pounced too fiercely and scared two chicks to death. I brought them all back."
Shen Xuanqing washed his dirty hands and came into the kitchen to talk. His starry eyes sparkling with joy, he added, "I checked, and the two chicks were just scared to death. They’re still good to eat. Tomorrow we’ll make a chick soup—the meat is more tender than older chickens."
"Alright," Lu Gu nodded with a smile as he added firewood to the stove.
Shen Xuanqing walked out and brought in two things from outside, both wrapped in clean large leaves. He walked over, squatted down, and opened the leaves with Lu Gu.
They peeled back the leaves and saw bright red fruits, Shen Xuanqing smiled and said, "Berries. I’ll go wash them."
What Lu Gu held in his hand was the honey. Last year, all the honey they found was brought home. Whether it was sugar or honey, both were precious. For Shen Xuanqing, finding such sweet treats was even more gratifying than hunting game because it brought joy to his fulang. The berries he picked were also rare, although they were a little small but they had strong sweet-and-sour flavor, much tastier than ordinary fruits.
After he washed it, he brought the bowl over. The two of them, one sitting and the other squatting, both started eating the berries with smiles on their faces.
After brushing teeth at night, it was time to go to bed as usual, but Lu Gu was craving for berries. He sat on the edge of the bed and hesitated for a while, thinking that he had already used up the green salt for cleaning his teeth, and it would be a waste if he still ate, so he had to give up.
But Shen Xuanqing noticed he had something on his mind and asked. When he found out it was about craving the berries, the young man chuckled under the candlelight, teasing him for being greedy. But he still went to the kitchen to fetch the small bowl of berries.
The bright red berries were small, and when they were bitten between the teeth, sweet and sour flavor burst out. No wonder Lu Gu craved them, even Shen Xuanqing ate several
He picked up a small berry and rubbed it gently with his fingertips. The bright red small fruit reminded him of something else. He lowered his eyes slightly and concealed his wanton gaze. After putting the fruit into his mouth, he didn’t know whether it was the sweet-and-sour taste that made his mouth water or the desire that made his Adam's apple bob.
The young man, who was less than 20 years old, had a strong yang, a healthy and strong physique, and unexpectedly strong energy. With his soft and obedient husband right beside him, within easy reach, it was hard to resist.
[Yang energy 阳, a concept in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy representing warmth, activity, and masculinity]
The candle was blown out, and in the darkness, the kiss carried the sweetness of the berries.
Hugging and cuddling might seem a bit clingy, but Lu Gu never thought so. He didn’t know when it started, but he felt joy in his heart whenever Shen Xuanqing hugged or kissed him.
The night was enchanting, and Lu Gu’s heart was filled with sweetness. Then, a big, warm, and strong hand touched his belly.
Shen Xuanqing thought it was so soft. He couldn’t bring himself to move his hand away and muttered softly, "Why haven’t you gained weight yet?"
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